A Literary Analysis Of Eudora Welty's A Worn Path
Literary Analysis on “A Worn Path” The short story “A Worn Path,” written by Eudora Welty, depicts the journey of an elderly black woman named Phoenix Jackson who walks from her home to the city of Natchez in need of medicine for her sick grandson. Phoenix experiences many obstacles that do not interrupt her trip, but rather make her a stronger woman for overcoming them. In A Worn Path, Welty illustrates her journey through several key symbols: the name Phoenix, the path, and the windmill.
Phoenix shares a name with a creature which reflects her indefatigable nature, her constant striving towards her goal, as well as her unflagging optimism and high spirits (Goodman). The Phoenix is a mythological creature that lives for five centuries
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Phoenix says, “I going to the store and buy my child a little windmill they sells, made out of paper” (Welty). Windmills have no beginning or end points on them, like Phoenix’s continuous journey. She goes into town to retrieve her grandson’s medicine, returns home, then sets off again when the time is needed. No matter the conditions, Phoneix keeps on going, just like a windmill. The windmill equips nature into energy, and represents the hope that her grandson may use his innate skills to push on and extend the worn path further. Given her grandson’s injuries that hope is as fragile as the paper windmill. This reminds us that hope is fragile, and is contingent on historical and civil efforts beyond Phoenix and her grandson. Phoenix Jackson perseveres to achieve a purposeful goal. Phoenix Jackson stayed true to her faith in times of desperation. Against the obstacles, she was willing to reach her destination to provide her grandson with the medicine he is in need of. Welty illustrates Phoenix Jackson’s agitated journey through several meaningful symbols. These symbols assist to achieve that Phoenix Jackson’s journey was difficult but worth
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1718 Words | 7 PagesThe death and rebirth archetype comes back in to play when Phoenix descends. The death aspect is her dealing with the absence of her grandson, but being reborn ready to face a new life without him having reached acceptance. The journey was not about her grandson but about Phoenix reaching her deeper self. The death of her grandson, changes the interpretation of the story. Even though her grandson is dead, Jackson makes the journey every year to get his medicine in order to honor him and not forget.
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Three Artistic Tools Used In Eudora Welty's A Worn Path
488 Words | 2 PagesIn the short story Welty’s want the reader to be comfortable with Phoenix as a character. Welty describes Phoenix wearing a long dress reaching her shoe top and a long apron of bleached sugar sacks. When Phoenix talks aloud to herself the author wants the reader to imagine an old woman with characteristics of a warm, comical, young spirited woman side of her. The short story also uses images which evoke from the biblical imagery. Phoenix’s uses biblical connection to show the reader how important her story and the
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328 Words | 2 PagesPheonix Jackson’s grandson is dead because she shows signs of dementia, she hesitates when asked about how the boy is doing, and she says words that imply the boy isn’t changing. The story “ A Worn Path” follows the difficult trip routinely made by Pheonix on foot to a nearby town for her grandson’s medicine which he needs for his swollen throat. Pheonix shows signs of dementia which would affect her perception of reality and her grandson being alive or dead. In the line, “At first she took it as a man,” referring to her encountering a scarecrow, Pheonix shows that her senses are inadequate enough to believe a scarecrow is a man dancing in a field (762). Pheonix is more reliant on her body remembering the trail than her sense of sight
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526 Words | 3 PagesShe exemplifies Christ along her journey when she stops under a mistletoe tree; the same type of tree in which the cross was made. The thorns she encounters also relate to Christ’s death on the cross, the crown of thorns he wears on his head. The journey she takes to get her grandson’s medicine, is considered to be an example of self-sacrifice. Phoenix gives others the opportunity to help her and accomplish good things. One example is when the hunter helps her out of the ditch.
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